Date: Mon, 31 Jan 1994 14:12:51 +0100

From: Peter Trudgill PeterJohn.Trudgill[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]ANGL.UNIL.CH

Subject: Re: Stereotyping of Accent on Film/TV



Of course it's true that the villain is often played by a Brit! I

deduce that one connotation for American audiences of Upper Class English

English accents is "sinister". The interesting question is "Why?"

Typically, though, it is only in Dracula-type or science fiction American

horror movies that the villain is played by a Brit, such as Peter Cushing.

Peter Trudgill FBA

Professor of English Language and Linguistics

Section d'anglais

BFSH 2

University of Lausanne

CH-1015 Lausanne

Switzerland



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